Automatic vent



(No Model.) Y

F. MESSMERV.' AUTOMATIC VENT. No'. 253,306. Patented Feb. 7.1882.

l i 'UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND MESSMER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC VENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,306, dated February7, 1882.

Appnootion moa November 8,1881. (No uiodoi.)

lfollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic vents to be applied tovessels, barrels, or kegs in which liquor, beer, Ste., is kept, in orderto better draw, tap, or discharge the Huid.

The objects of my improvements are to obtain decisive, reliable, andperfect automatic action on the part of the vent or valvethat is to say,to be reliable in its automatic opening action to let air insidethe kegas the fluid is drawn off, and in similar manner to be reliable in itsself-closing action to shut out the external air; also to accomplish thesaid actions without leakage and without noise. I attain these objectsby the vent illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lshows my improved vent when applied and used for a beer-keg inconnection with afaucet. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the vent and itstubular stem. Fig. 3 is an edge View of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is the same viewwhen vent is inated. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line a, m of Fig.3. Fig. 6 is a section on line .fr .fr of Fig. 2 when vent is closed ornot inated. Fig. 7 isq a section of Fig. 4 when in inflated condition;land Figs. S and 9 are respective end views, the former showing the mouthof veut closed, thelatter view showing mouth open. The respectivefigures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9 are here illustrated enlarged (to what inpractice the vent is made) in order to better show and explain theconstruction and operation of the parts. Fig. 10 is a cross-section ofthe vent, taken on line m2 x2.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is the tubular stem, forming part of which is the vent B. The entirestem and vent being of flexible material-such as rubberis made (bypressure and molds employed) to be ofthe constructive shape and'have thestructural features, as follows: rlhe vent is a tube flattened out sothat its two opposite sides, b b, come together, which closes the vent,(see Figs. 2, 3, 6, 8;) vice versa, when by inflation or air-pressurethe said walls or sides are made to part the mouth of the vent at b isopen to permit the escape ot' the air through the vent. (See Figs. 4, 7,9.) The opposite edges, b2 b2, ofthe vent I curve in outline, as shownin Figs. 2 and 5, in order that the wider portion shall exist centrallyacross the vent on line x2 x2. (See Figs. 2 and 5.) The curved edges b2b2 give more spring tothe Walls of the mouth of the vent, facilitatingits proper opening and closing action, and, together with the increasedareaexisting crosswise ot' the sides, gives sufcient weakness to thesaid midway portion of the sides to enable the vent proper to open andclose more easily in y the middle portion thereof 5. also a greatervolume of air can be forced Vin the middle part of the vent (where itisthe widest) to swell the same and facilitate the opening of the wallsof the mouth at b. Further, the curved edges i12-b2 (where they unitewith or form part of the sidesb b) I make thinner, leaving the centerportion of the sides thicker. Thus the external appearance of the venttaken on line x2 x2 (or viewed at the end of the mouth b) is ovalshaped,as shownin Figs. 8 and 9. By so making the edges thinner and the centerportion thicker the vent can the better expand and contract in itscenter portion in accorda-nce with the pressure, and said air-pressurecan the more easily open or close the mouth of the vent. The thickerportion of the vent prevents that rapid vibration which produces noiseand is so disagreeable, specially when the air-pressure is strong. Thestem A extends into the body of the veut, and said extended portion a, Ishape tapering to the center point ot' the vent. (See Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5,6.) By this means the air pressure or current has free passage to nearthe outer extremity or mouth of the vent.

As stated, the closed condition of the vent is as shown in Figs. 3, 6,and S-that is, the flattened sides b b are in contact with each other,which closes the mouth ofthe vent and prevents the return of any air orgas from the keg and leakage through the vent. When the air-pressure oriniation takes place the aircurrent with all its force strikes thecenter of the vent, causing its flattened sides to swell or bulge, andin so doing opens a passage-Way which permits the air-current to escapeinto the keg above the fluid it contains. As soon as the inflationceasesI the sides b b of the vent spring back or contract,rst in themiddle part IOO of the vent proper, which action draws the walls ot' themouth b together and the vent is closed. Thus the vent automaticallycloses its mouth b when thereis no iniiation, and automatically opensits said mouth when the vent is inated.

In Fig. l I have illustrated the vent as forming part of hose ofdilerent diameters and sections, thelatter beingin connection with afaucet. When so applied and used the hose assumes nearly a perpendicularposition within the keg, the Vent proper iloating on top of the liquid.The vent can also be applied to the bung or vent-cock as a pendanttherefrom.

l do not desire to limit myself to the use of rubber as the onlymaterial to make the said automatic vent; hence The automatic ventherein described, consisting of two united flat sides whose opposite zoedges are curved, said sides being wider crosswise on aline midway oftheir length, the mouth aswell as any cross-section of said sides beingoval in shape with its said curved edges made thinner than thelongitudinal central portion 25 In testimony of said invention Ihavehere- 3o unto set my hand.

FERDINAND MESSMER.

Witnesses:

ALBERT BUGG, WILLIAM W. HERTHEL.

